This invention relates to an article useful in the conditioning of fabrics in a laundry dryer. More particularly, it relates to an improved fabric-conditioning article in the form of a flexible substrate carrying a conditioning agent removable to fabrics in a laundry dryer.
The employment of fabric-conditioning articles to impart softening, antistatic, lubricating, bacteriostatic mildew-proofing or other desirable fabric-conditioning effects in a laundry dryer has been described in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,442,692 to Gaiser (May 6, 1969) describes the conditioning of fabrics in a laundry dryer by cotumbling the fabrics with a flexible substrate carrying a conditioning agent. The conditioning agent is removed to the tumbling fabrics to provide a fabric conditioning which otherwise might only inconveniently be effected by treatment, for example, during the rinsing cycle of a laundering operation. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,686,025, issued Aug. 22, 1972 to Morton, describes an article for conditioning fabrics in a laundry dryer. The article comprises an absorptive substrate impregnated with a fabric-softening agent for the provision of fabric softening effects with minimal staining tendencies.
While the fabric-conditioning articles of the prior art are effective to provide a variety of fabric surface modifications, such as fabric softening, their effectiveness can be diminished where they are not structurally compatible with the various types of automatic laundry dryers available in the marketplace. There may be a tendency, for example, for such articles to become physically immobilized in certain types of laundry dryers by sticking or otherwise attaching to the exhaust outlet means of the dryer or to a lint filter or trap by the drawing effect of exhausting air and water vapor. The passage of air into the area within which the tumbling clothes are confined and out of the dryer, as by passage through a perforated rear wall or door, creates a drawing effect capable of holding a fabric-conditioning article in such a manner as to impede the flow of air out of the laundry dryer.
The tendency of a fabric-conditioning article to restrict air flow is most noticeable where the article is employed in a fabric load comprised of only a few tumbling fabrics. A load of 2 lbs. dry weight or less is an example of such a load. Normally, restricted air flow will result in slow or inefficient drying. If air blockage is sufficient, dangerous build-up of heat in the dryer can occur and should the temperature in the heater housing exceed a preset limit, for example, 275.degree.F, the high-limit thermostat of the dryer will open and thereby interrupt the flow of current to the heater or gas to the burner. In some models, the high-limit thermostat will also shut off power to the drive motor requiring that the dryer be restarted. The high-limit thermostat is closed in normal operation and any situation calling this device into operation is desirably avoided.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a fabric-conditioning article compatible with laundry dryers.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a fabric-conditioning article capable of conditioning fabrics in a laundry dryer without adversely affecting air flow.
A further object is to provide an article for conditioning fabrics in a laundry dryer and which prevents undesirable build-up of heat.
Other objects will become apparent from the description appearing hereinafter.